Power Couple
by deepfathom
Summary: Hiccup and Astrid awaken to find themselves in a less than ideal situation. Their captors, however, have no idea just what they've gotten themselves into.
1. Part 1

_A/N: Confused yet? Heh, let me try to explain._

 _This piece is what I'd originally intended "The Berk Maneuver" to be. Just a short, humorous story about Hiccup and Astrid getting into a sticky situation and totally kicking butt together to get out of it. (Hence the title "Power Couple". Ha.) But, as some of you know, "Power Couple" more fittingly turned into "The Berk Maneuver", which then exploded into a full-fledged fan fic and the rest is history, blahblahblah._

 _Anyway, I still wanted to use that title because of the sheer awesomeness it suggests. I love the idea of Hiccup and Astrid becoming this formidable pair known throughout all Vikingdom as great leaders, but also for not taking any crap, especially when Berk and/or their loved ones are involved._

 _So...yeah. Buckle up, kids. There will be more. ;)_

 _(...And yes, for those of you wondering, I am currently working on the finale of "The Berk Maneuver". It's just...sometimes I have to write what my brain tells me to, not what I want. It makes things easier on our relationship.)_

...

 **Part 1**

 _Voices._

 _Piercing the dark…low and gruff…dragging nerves back into consciousness…_

"…looks on their faces!" someone guffawed drunkenly. "Especially the boy. Never in my life have I seen such a stunned-stupid expression."

A rowdy burst of laughter accompanied the dull clunk of overfilled tankards meeting wood, making his woozy head spin worse than it already was. The voices grew harsher, crueler.

"'Bout time somebody taught those weaklings in the Archipelago a lesson. They've gone soft, they have, thinking they're so high and mighty flying around on their dragons while everyone else grovels in the dirt at their feet."

"Ha! Good thing we caught the source of the problem, then, huh?"

"Right. Without him, they'll have no idea what to do with themselves…or those dragons."

 _Without who…? Me? They're talking about me…_

"Maybe they'll finally come to their senses and kill the beasts."

"Nah, they'd never do that. That's why we're gonna do it for them. Without their dragons, they're nothing special and we'll wipe'em clean off the map."

Hiccup's mind catapulted into a sick swirl.

His final conscious memory had been of someone large—perhaps one of the overabundance of guards standing about the place—grabbing him from behind and clamping a damp, odd-smelling cloth over his nose and mouth. There had been little time to struggle or even comprehend before he was gone. It was so quick, so unexpected, so… _shocking_.

The whole thing was a setup, he concluded bitterly. It was nothing but a web of lies, every word of it, down to the very last kind offer to "accommodate" the Berkian chief, his wife and their dragons during their stay. But apparently this tribe wasn't looking for peaceful negotiations after all. They intended to start a war and, Hiccup hated to admit, were off to a pretty solid start. The leader they had been corresponding with for months, the leader who first extended his hand in friendship and trade, the one who had _invited_ them here to begin officially forging an alliance, was just a spider waiting for them, the unwitting flies.

Their errand of diplomacy was now a humiliating and extremely precarious situation. And worse, no one knew what had happened to them. No one was aware that they'd flown straight into the gaping mouth of a trap. As far as the rest of Berk was concerned, he and Astrid were off drawing up accords between the Hooligans and a welcome new ally with nothing to fear, not stuck in some deep, dark…

 _Where am I?_

He shifted, only to realize after a few feeble movements, that he was lying sideways, the ground beneath him cold, hard, damp stone.

 _A_ … _dungeon_?

At that, the young Viking stirred more vigorously, finding himself to be bound tightly from head to toe and unable to move more than an inch or so.

 _Oh no…Astrid. Where's Astrid? And Toothless and Stormfly?! Wait, I can't see…why can't I see?_

Now fully awake and very alarmed, Hiccup struggled, attempting to call out their names and getting no further than a series of thoroughly muffled grunts. There was some kind of thick, coarse fabric wrapped firmly around his entire face several times, blocking sight, speech, even breathing, to a rather uncomfortable extent.

The laughter died.

"Quiet over there, runt!" shouted the first voice while a sturdy bench's legs scraped across the ground.

"Aw, c'mon," jeered another in mock sympathy. "Da widdle chief just misses his widdle dwagon."

At the sound of approaching footsteps, Hiccup thrashed and twisted, determined to free himself and show them just what "da widdle chief" and his "widdle dwagon" could do. There would be no more laughing after that.

"Ha," someone else joined the fun, "lookit'im wriggle! Better stop talking about his pet like that. He might break loose and crack your skull."

"Oooohoohoo!" chorus the rest of the table.

A large boot came to rest in Hiccup's side. "Trust me, he's not going anywhere and neither is she."

 _She? Astrid…_

"Hear me, kid? I said you're not going anywhere."

The boot dug deeper, making the Berkian squirm.

"Didn't like that little surprise up there in the hall, did you, now?"

 _Up…? So this_ is _a dungeon._ _Terrific._

"Well, you only have your own stupidity to thank for that. Hasn't anyone bothered to tell you that lanky, freckle-faced, naïve boys aren't tribal chief material?"

The man paused, allowing his audience another chortle.

"Oh, don't worry, we'll take good care of you…until the slave traders pass by."

Hiccup's insides twisted.

"Thor only knows what'll happen to such a young, healthy dragon trainer after that. Maybe you'll get lucky, you and your girlfriend, and be sold as a pair? And the best part? If you ever manage to escape someday, Odin forbid, there won't be an island for you to come back to. As for your dragons… I hear Night Fury skin fetches quite a price on the market. So rare and precious, so… _expensive._ "

He couldn't hold back the fear and anger any longer. With an unintelligible shouted insult, Hiccup jerked out from under the boot and rolled to his back. All that earned him, however, was more laughter and an even more uncomfortable position.

 _Right, like that was going to work, Hiccup, you idiot. Why did I even—_

"Aha, still have some fight, I see. Well, it won't do you much good without this."

Hiccup froze at the familiar click and hiss of an extending blade and hoped to Asgard the man hadn't figured out what else _Inferno_ was capable of…

There was a whoosh, followed by a bright orange flare that Hiccup could see through both the material and his eyelids.

 _So much for that. No pity from the gods, as usual…_

"I have to say, this is a very useful little gadget you have here."

The young chief cringed, turning his head away as he felt the incredible heat move closer until it was directly in front of his face. Chuckling with the rest of the gang, the man briefly touched the tip of the sword to Hiccup's right shoulder armor, making it sizzle. Then the intense light was snuffed out and his tormentor stepped back.

"Ha! I'm not going to kill you, kid. Had you going there for a second, though, huh? But seriously," the boot was back, this time rolling him to his side again, "you'd better keep still and quiet, otherwise I'll give you something real to scream about."

He heard the blade retract, and then the boots clunked away. Unable to do much more than think and at least try to breathe, Hiccup lay stunned for a moment before the rasp of metal-studded clothing on stone caught his attention. Sensing movement, he tensed. Something, or someone, was coming toward him.

Suddenly, a hand slipped into his, giving it a squeeze when he uttered a startled noise. It was cold, but there was no mistaking that touch.

Astrid.

She was here by his side—maybe more like back-to-back on the ground—though not in much better shape judging by the scratch of rope against his fingers.

 _Trust me,_ her firm grip seemed to say. _Do you trust me?_

He squeezed back.


	2. Part 2

Having had their fill of mocking the foreigners, the insult and profanity-laden conversation of the dungeon guards drifted into bored grumblings. Still lying back-to-back, Hiccup and Astrid had barely moved for half an hour, only now daring to stir. Though subtle and hesitant at first, the need to shift became too great, eventually attracting the attention of the same man that had taunted them earlier, who, incidentally, seemed to be the one in charge.

An irritated sigh was heaved as a bench again scraped across stone, then the muttering and the boot-steps…

"Aw, lookee here," the guard sneered. "The happy couple all cuddled up together. How precious."

When the man stopped beside them, Hiccup felt his wife's body tighten and he took a firm grip on her hand before she could make another, more obvious move.

 _Not yet, Astrid._ _Not yet, not yet…_

Message received. She slackened, but only slightly.

"You two don't know when to call it quits, do you?" Leather creaked as the man dropped to a crouch, took a handful of the ropes around Hiccup's chest and yanked. "Guess we'll have to fix that."

The young man uttered a stifled noise of distress as he was dragged away from his wife's side. This wasn't supposed to happen. Their lives depended on staying together and working as one.

"How'd you like your own private room, kid?

Astrid was their only chance now. He could only hope…

"Got a nice, cozy cell one level down with your name—"

"AAAAAARGH!"

Much to Hiccup's relief, Astrid announced her freedom in her typical fashion. On the way back down to solid ground, Hiccup felt a breeze as her legs whooshed over him and collided with the startled man.

"AAGH! What in the— _you little_ —"

The rest of the insult was lost in what sounded like a well-aimed punch to the face delivered by a fur-covered fist.

"It's a good thing you're not going to finish that," Astrid snarled.

Hiccup was more than confident that the man wouldn't be finishing anything for quite a while after they'd escaped, especially since he was more than likely to be short a few front teeth.

For the past half hour, he had painstakingly pulled apart the cords around Astrid's wrists, eventually allowing her enough leeway to slip out, reach down to untie her own legs and slip back in, maintaining the ruse of captivity. Now, fingers raw and smarting, his job was to get out of the way and wait for her to clean up a bit.

To the tune of whistling weapons and yelping guards, Hiccup scooted back as far as he could, hoping to avoid being trampled by the melee. All he needed right now was to be crushed under a bulky guard or two, which happened to be dropping like flies at the hands of his wife.

"Whoo!" she panted when at last the room was still, sounding as if she'd just had the time of her life. "That should give us a nice head start."

She then knelt beside him, hauling him upright and pulling the material down from his face. Gasping, Hiccup blinked in the dim light of the single lit torch like it was the noonday sun.

"That was too close," he coughed.

"I would've found you eventually," Astrid replied, holding him close.

"No…I meant you almost took off my head with that kick."

"I did not!" She stuck out her tongue before crawling around him to start on the knots. "You know I would never…ok, maybe I could've waited an extra _two_ seconds or so, but I had to act fast. Seriously, though, are you ok?"

"Yeah, yeah, fine. Just, you know, enjoying the great view and fresh air before we check out of our lovely dungeon suite."

"Huh, this island will definitely be a big 'do not recommend' on my destination list."

"Agreed. The service here is terrible…"

The pair froze suddenly at the distant, but growing clatter of boots echoing through the narrow doorway across the room. There on the outside wall was a mass of shadows, indicating the arrival of another group of problems, another human wall standing between them and their way out. The young Vikings had one stroke of luck on their side, however. The newcomers showed every sign of being blissfully unaware of what had recently taken place just around the corner. Their steps were broad and relaxed, as was their bawdy conversation, their weapons undoubtedly sheathed or tucked away in belts and pouches.

"Ugh, we've got more company."

"Changing of the guard, I bet," Astrid muttered, failing to cover tinge of excitement in her voice. "Ok, time for a change of plans."

"We had a plan? Why wasn't I notified of—whoooa, what're you doing?" he said, finding himself being hefted up and over one of Astrid's metal-plated shoulders. Fortunately for his middle, he was wearing quite a bit of protective padding himself, which proved effective in preventing a stomachache to match the headache he already had. "Wait, hold it, what happened to the 'finish untying me so we can escape' thing?"

One of her arms circled his waist, anchoring him (hopefully) in place.

"This is gonna get a rough," was all she grunted through clenched jaws. "Hang on."

"What—no!" Hiccup squirmed. Whoever was in charge of the knot-tying around here had done their job and done it well. Too well. "Uhhhnot good! 'Human battering ram' isn't _anywhere_ in the job description for Chief of Berk! Trust me, I've checked."

His concerns—which were, of course, very valid—were never addressed as the replacement guards rounded the corner. Their toothy smiles dropped to open-mouthed confusion, forcing the place into an awkward pause as each party, neither knowing what this situation called for, blinked at the other.

"Oh, for the love of Asgard," Hiccup huffed, trying to crane his neck around to see what was causing the stall, "what's going on back there? Somebody do something already!"

His request was like a sharp set of spurs to the flanks of those present, flinging them into a whirling frenzy. Weapons appeared, a few impressive curses were hurled, and Hiccup thought he caught one disgruntled individual mumbling something about deserving better wages. In response, Astrid let out her signature, remarkably Valkyrie-esque battle scream and burst into a full-tilt sprint at the oncoming men.

"Whoa, whoa, wait! I didn't mean—AstridASTRIDASTRIIIIID—"

The room wasn't very spacious (it _was_ a dungeon, after all) and within three bounds she met their new opponents head-on.

Unfortunately, it wasn't quite enough time for Hiccup to prepare for the collision, merely leaving him grateful he'd gone in feet first instead of head as he was thrown suddenly and unwillingly into the action, bumping and swinging with every dizzying movement his wife executed.

"Aagh! Ow! Astrid—"

"Not now, Hiccup!"

Side-to-side, back-and-forth, swiping, ducking, lunging and everything in between. This hadn't been covered in hand-to-hand combat training, Hiccup mused, eyes shut tight, but there was no doubt it would be added to the list soon enough. Lucky him.

He was no stranger to speedy midair stunts, but balancing on your wife's shoulder without the use of your hands while she took out an entire guard unit was a far cry from flying with a dragon. The speed and the stunts were mutually agreed on in the latter scenario, for one. And normally, he wouldn't be flying with his hands tied…

"Astrid!" he ventured again in a half-second lull between adversaries, "I think we might need a different plan!"

She twisted, newly acquired weapon in hand, tripping a couple men along the way.

"Little late for that…"

"Right, right, no worries, just thought I'd—BEHIND YOU!"

Astrid whipped around, finding a rogue, one-man onslaught coming in from the back. Hiccup's legs sprang outward with the force of the spin, clobbering the unlucky guard and sending him reeling.

"Nice one, babe!" Astrid cheered.

"Eheh, least I could do," he replied as she faced the main group again. The move was completely involuntary, but as long as it kept them both out of more trouble, he would take what he could get.

"Oooh, sorry about that." Hiccup winced when he could see the groaning, limp recipient of his accidental hit. "Metal leg…"

Astrid threw herself sideways, narrowly dodging a chopping axe, then parried another blow on the other side before shoving the last flailing guard over the solid wood table to join his stunned comrades sprawled across the stone floor.

"Ha! I could do this all day!" She laughed, lowering Hiccup to the ground and slicing through his ropes with the sword.

"Mmmmlet's not," Hiccup grumbled, clutching his spinning head while she freed his legs. "I really want to live."

"Aw, c'mon," she chirped, jogging in place once or twice and popping her neck. "Aren't you totally pumped now?"

"Uh, no."

"I haven't had this much fun in ages!"

"This is your idea of—wait, what am I saying? Of course it is."

"Ok, maybe not the whole getting knocked out and waking up in a dungeon…" she drifted off at the look he shot her. "It's a warrior thing," she sighed, helping him up. "Hard to explain to someone who hasn't been throwing around dangerous, pointy objects since he could walk."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow.

"C'mon, let's just get out of this hole and find our dragons."

"Aha, now you're starting to make sense—" he ducked, narrowly avoiding a swift whack to the shoulder.

"Hey, that's some serious improvement in the reflex department."

"Thank you, M'lady, I owe it all to you."

"What's that supposed to…"

"Aaahaha, whaaat? Never mind, not important. Anyway, as I was saying, we should probably make sure these guys won't catch up to us."

"Hm, I like the way you think, dragon boy." Without skipping a beat, Astrid produced from her belt pouch a heavy, jingling set of keys. Smiling mischievously, she let them dangle from a finger while the other hand perched on a hip. "Would these help?"

Grinning, Hiccup drew her in for a quick smooch on the lips and muttered, "I knew I married you for a reason," before stepping past her toward the head guard on the ground.

The brute was much uglier and much bigger than Hiccup had imagined, thickset and muscular with a scar-covered bald head set on a beefy neck. The swelling purple bruise on the right side of his face—courtesy of Astrid—did little to improve the looks. Wrinkling his nose in disgust, Hiccup placed his prosthetic in the center of the man's leather-plated chest and leaned in for a closer look. The dazed man mumbled incoherently.

"Well, you were right about one thing," the young Viking said, snatching _Inferno_ from a chunky fist, "I won't get very far without this...soooo I'll be taking it off your hands, if you don't mind. Permanently." He straightened, making for the door before another thought brought him back around. "Oh, and before I go, let's get one thing cleared up. She's not my girlfriend. She's my wife."


	3. Part 3

It took the combined strength of both Hiccup and Astrid to swing the dungeon guard room's door shut. The monstrosity of wood and iron protested loudly all the way, setting their nerves on edge and making them grateful when they could finally bring the barricade down in front of it.

"Somebody probably heard that," Astrid whispered, grasping the padlock and shoving keys into the hole one by one.

"Well, you weren't exactly quiet…"

"I meant the _door_ , genius. And neither were you, mister 'we need a better plan'." She gave a frustrated grunt. "Aaggh, stupid lock…"

Hiccup took the ring from her momentarily, selecting a key that closely resembled the ironwork on the door and handed it back.

"Try this one."

It slid easily into the keyhole, turning all the way around until a quiet click signaled security.

"Nice," Astrid approved, sidestepping Hiccup to peer down a metal grate set in the stone floor. "Very nice. You're pretty handy in a pinch. I think I'll keep you around."

"No argument here…" he drifted, eyes narrowing. "Wait, I know that look. That's the I'm-about-to-do-something-sneaky look."

His wife stood with one arm extended over the grate, keys dangling precariously from a finger. With a quick flick, she sent them jingling into the blackness below.

"Oops," she said innocently.

"Wha…whaaaadid you just…" Stuttering with disbelief, Hiccup hopped to the grate, pointing to the abyss, then casting her a half amazed, half horrified. "You remember we're not the ones trying to start a war, right?"

"That can't have been the only set of keys to this place," Astrid reassured, now rushing past him and down the skinny hallway. "Somebody'll be around to let them out sooner or later. C'mon, we need to move—"

"Oy!" a thin voice sliced through the conversation. "W-wot're you two doin' ou'?!"

Startled and off guard, the couple glanced up, expecting another warrior bristling with weapons. What they got instead brought them to a standstill out of sheer surprise and unabashed relief.

"Ohhh, ok," Hiccup breathed. "We're good. It's just a…"

Astrid relaxed as well. "Yeah, just a…"

"Jus' a _wot_ , exactly?!"

Drawing a small, rather blunt and dented knife from a loose belt, the skinny youngster (probably an errand runner or messenger) took an overly confident step.

"No, no, sorry, I meant just a…" Hiccup struggled to find the right words, floundering miserably, "just a… _you_. Whatever _you_ are…"

The lad scowled. "I'll 'ave you know I'm a member o' the chief's own council! 'Portant one a' tha'! Come a' me, fools! I'll take you ou' wif one swing! I'll frow you both back in the dungeon meself, just you watch!"

Astrid sighed. "I'll handle this."

"You'll 'andle wot now…?"

"Heh," Hiccup chortled dryly in return, folding his arms and leaning against the wall to watch, "let me know if you need any help with this guy."

"I'm warnin' you!" The flamboyant self-assurance of the newcomer shrank markedly as Astrid advanced and overshadowed him. "Don'choo come…don'choo come no closer! I'm…I'm armed and—AAGGHCK!"

Without a second for a thought of escape to cross his mind, the young man found himself locked in the not-so-tender hold of the seasoned warrior, one limb twisted behind his back and his own knife pressed into his throat. The boy was in no danger as Astrid only wanted to get his undivided attention, and as if following some unwritten but well-rehearsed protocol, she got right down to business.

"Listen carefully," she hissed in his ear. "We need our weapons and we need our dragons, pronto. Got it?

The lad nodded with vigor. "Y-yeah, yeah...I fink I go' it."

"Where are they?"

The boy hesitated, then snuffled and put on a mildly defiant air. "I ain't tellin' you noffin'. No' one bit."

"Ugh, seriously?" Almost seeming bored with the whole affair, Astrid rolled her eyes. "Hiccup? A little motivation, if you will?"

"One fiery serving of intimida—uh... _motivation_ , I mean, coming right up." With a click and a whoosh, _Inferno_ was ablaze in his hands, leaving blinding trails of flame as he swirled it through the air. He tossed it expertly, spinning around and catching it behind his back. "Now, I believe the lady asked you a question. Don't want to disappoint her, hm? Baaad idea."

The teen flinched, but surprisingly offered nothing more than a comically set jaw. Perhaps it was time to take things a step further.

"Ok, points for bravery, I'll give you that much," Hiccup said, moving forward but maintaining a safe distance, "but if you don't mind, we're kind of in a hurry here, soooo…any time you're ready to spill would be fantastic." He lowered the sword to the young man's eye level, bobbed it up and down, drew a slow circle of flame and watched the brown eyes trace every mesmerizing movement. He never intended to harm the boy, of course, just give him enough of a show to scare out some answers. A burning sword a few feet away from one's face is incredibly persuasive, but it appeared that this case might require a small, encouraging nudge. Hiccup halted the Dragon Blade, then twitched it ever so slightly…

"Gaah!" The youngster jumped, turning white as seafoam. "Armory's up a floor, down the hall, firs' door on the left!"

"Thaaaaank _you_. And the dragons?"

"Busted ou' the place righ' after you woz caugh' and all Helheim broke loose wif'em," he spluttered, tripping over his own words. "Prolly runnin' wild 'cross the island as we speak. It's the honest trufe, I swear!"

"Perfect." The sword was quenched and retracted. "That'll be all. Thank you for your cooperation and have a nice day."

Before the bewildered boy could blink, Astrid brought the thick handle of the knife down on his head with a dull thunk. He crumpled to the ground in a heap at their feet.

"What?" Shrugging off the open-mouthed stare her husband was giving her, Astrid turned and continued up the hallway at a trot. "Oh, come on, I didn't hit him _that_ hard. Besides, what else were we supposed to do with him?"

"Good point, I guess." Hiccup's eyebrows flicked upward as he followed. "Couldn't we have shoved him into a closet or something?"

"This is a dungeon, Hiccup. I don't know about you, but where I come from, dungeons don't usually have closets."

There was no arguing with that. Or her.

"Ok, all right, dumb question. But I won't lie, you terrify me sometimes."

She gave teasing laugh. "Well, somebody's got to keep the Chief in line and out of trouble."

"Good thing I married my own personal body guard, then, huh?"

That one earned him a mock-offended glance over one shoulder.

"Oho! So that's all I am to you? Your watchdog?"

"Psh, are you kidding? That's just a side benefit that came along with the whole bundle."

"…Bundle?"

"Yeah. I call it the 'Astrid Hofferson Haddock Marriage Bundle'."

An amused snort echoed to him. "Oh, really? And what's included in this 'Astrid Hofferson Haddock Marriage Bundle', if you don't mind my asking?"

"Not at all. It includes the strongest, most intelligent, intense and beautiful woman I've ever known with equal portions of loyalty, love and determination sprinkled with the cutest laugh and just a pinch of pure sweetness all rolled into a single…well, you."

There was a flicker in her eyes when next she looked back. "Oh, stop it, Haddock," she giggled, "you're making me blush."

"Just doing my job," he returned with a wink.

"So, out of curiosity, if you get the bundle, what do I get in return?"

At the foot of the narrow, spiraling steps leading to the world above and beyond to freedom, Hiccup grasped her arm, sweeping her gallantly into his embrace for a brief, still moment.

" _You_ , M'lady…get all of _this_." Grinning, he gestured to himself, then struck a heroic pose.

"Great!" Astrid's face was alight with mischief. "Then that means _I_ get to do _this_!"

"HOOMF!" Hiccup huffed and doubled over as she delivered a quick jab to his middle. "Whyyyy?!"

Laughing like a girl giddy over her first love's kiss, she bounced up the stairs, only pausing to flash him a sly smile. "Just doing my job."


	4. Part 4

The couple crept forward from the shadows to peer around the corner. The guards that had just strolled by were relaxed and in no hurry, indicating that Hiccup's and Astrid's exploits in the dungeons one level below were still unknown to the rest of the fortress…for now.

Both understood perfectly that it would become more difficult to remain hidden the closer they got to the main hall. It wouldn't be long before someone figured out what had happened and raised the alarm, so it was crucial to get across that expanse as quickly as possible.

But first things first, of course. Though their little detour to the armory would cost them precious minutes, they were more than likely to face another skirmish. That and Astrid refused to go any further without her trusted battleaxe. Hiccup wasn't about to complain, knowing that once she had it in her hands, their chances of survival almost doubled.

She arrived at the other side of the now empty corridor just before him, putting a finger to her lips as he joined her. The motion, he decided, was either automatic given the situation or for show since neither of them had any intention of opening their mouth for so much as a whisper while exposed like this.

The armory door swung open with barely any effort, prompting the couple to share a relieved glance. The majority of the men were undoubtedly outside hunting the dragons and it appeared the few remaining had grown a bit too complacent in their security. As far as they were concerned, the two prisoners were still locked up in the bowels of the fortress and going nowhere soon.

Husband and wife slipped inside the chamber, pausing a moment to listen before gently closing the door.

"Let's make this quick," Hiccup urged, then wondered why he'd even bothered when he turned to find Astrid already on the far side of the room.

"Stay there and keep a lookout," she whispered back, flinging open cabinet doors and peering into crates, boxes and barrels full of weapons in search of her most prized possession. At last, a large trunk in one corner of the room yielded the desired result. "Aha, come to mama." Grinning with a glint in her eye, she lifted the axe into the air and gave it a spin, then reached back in to pull out Hiccup's Gronckle iron shield. "Now we're in business. Here." She passed it to him, then grabbed a bow and a quiver of arrows for good measure, handing them over as well.

As a teen, he had designed the shield to contain a collapsible crossbow as well as a few other cleverly hidden features specifically for added safety. However, it never hurt to have a little something extra to work with in case things went downhill. Hiccup slung the shield over his back and took the rest without question.

"Great, let's get out of here."

"Hold on…" Astrid laid the axe against the wall and began digging through a smaller chest on a nearby shelf. "They took more than just my axe."

Hiccup was about to ask what exactly she meant when she turned, arms full of various sharp, metallic objects. There were knives and daggers of all sizes, throwing axes, even what looked like an assortment of spikes from Stormfly's tail. He didn't know why he was surprised, but he blinked anyway, mouth open partway as she dropped the load onto a tabletop and started sorting, tucking weapons under her armor, through her braid, into her armbands.

"Let me guess," Hiccup said, unable to hold back half a smile, "all of that came in here with you."

"Yup, and you'd better believe it's all leaving with me too. Well, except for this one."

Hiccup caught the sheathed knife she tossed to him, realizing that it was the one he usually kept in his left armguard.

"Thanks," he murmured, sliding it back into place. Then he couldn't help but ask. "Where…where do you keep it all?"

"Keep all of what?"

He indicated the shrinking weapon pile. "All of… _that_."

"Not important, at the moment," Astrid replied, selecting a nasty-looking knife and testing the serrated blade with a thumb. "Besides, if you knew, your safety as the Chief of Berk could be compromised."

Not too keen on starting a discussion about what information should and shouldn't be shared in a marriage regardless of status or political position, Hiccup decided not to pursue the matter further and nodded as the knife disappeared inside her boot.

"Okayyy, I think you've got enough. Let's get going."

"Wait, wait, just a few more. I might need them if—"

"Astrid…"

"Just a couple—"

" _Astrid._ "

"Ugh, you're no fun," she huffed, stomping toward the door with her axe on a shoulder. "Fine, c'mon, then."

The corridor was still empty when they emerged, allowing them a safe and quick jog to the foot of another set of spiraling stairs. There they paused at the echo of rough voices from above. Fists clenched, Astrid muttered a curse. They had been hoping that the main hall would be nearly deserted while most of the place was distracted by the rampaging dragons outside. It was impossible to gauge how many guards they were about to face, but by the sound of it, there were more than a handful. If things weren't interesting enough, they were about to get worse.

Astrid started up the steps, motioning for him to follow and the two ascended together. When they approached the doorway to the hall, Hiccup's stomach sank lower with each guard he counted. There were big guards, bigger guards, guards sitting on benches, guards seated at tables, all of them drinking, all of them bristling with weapons and armor.

His wife, on the other hand, seemed relieved.

"Not as many as I thought," she breathed.

Almost involuntarily, Hiccup's arms sprang outward to indicate the mass. "What're you talking—there's like _fifty_ guys out there!"

"Honestly, I was expecting more. Ok, there's nothing for it, we'll have to fight our way across."

"Huh, you don't say. Well, it was nice knowing you."

She shot him an irritated glance, then rolled her eyes. "Just stay close to me and you'll be fine, I promise."

"Right, sure. I'll save you a seat in Valhalla because I'm pretty confident I'll get there first."

Astrid was too busy prowling up behind one of the thick wooden pillars supporting the main hall's roof to listen anymore. Hiccup had no choice but to follow, but since there was only room for one, he ended up taking cover behind a second pillar about fifteen feet away from hers.

After a moment of intense observation, Astrid caught his gaze and commenced relaying her plan through silent gestures. It was a familiar strategy they had used before in similar situations with success, but the throng of large men occupying their pathway to home had rattled him a bit more than he cared to admit.

 _What?_ he mouthed back, shaking his head.

She huffed and started over again, pointing beyond him and at his bow, then at herself, running two fingers through the air in front of her like they were a pair of tiny, sprinting legs.

Was she serious…?

 _You…want me to chase you?_ Not that this adventure wasn't fun or anything, but now was hardly the time for…

She ground her knuckles into her forehead, then flashed him a look of pure annoyance.

 _Yeah, sorry…_ He shrugged.

This time around, her movements were broad and painfully obvious. Again, she pointed at him, then motioned to a place far beyond and pretended to fire an arrow from an invisible bow at a spot on the other side of the hall. After that, she jabbed a thumb at herself, making her running fingers skirt some unseen obstacle before mashing one fist into the palm of the other hand with a grimace.

 _Ohhh...I'm the diversion._

Of course he was. She _was_ the better warrior and could do the most damage, but honestly…

Astrid nodded as he half-heartedly returned her querying thumbs-up, then flapped her hands at him as if shooing away a child.

On that cue, Hiccup pulled an arrow from the quiver, notching it on the string while creeping backwards, eyes glued to the rowdy mob in the hall until, almost thirty feet from where he started, he drew the string taut and sighted his target: a gnarled wooden dragon's head sconce exactly opposite his position. An arrow shattering through the lantern it held in its jaws ought to garner some attention and give Astrid time to move in behind.

It was all well and good in theory, but, as plans of any kind often are, this one was in for its fair share of snags and hitches. In this case, the first came as Hiccup's boot caught in a gap in the stone floor and sent him toppling.

"AAGH!" he yelped on the way down and the arrow slipped, snapping from the bow and whistling through the air to stick quivering in a rack of candles dangling from the ceiling by a frayed rope.

The hazy, rambunctious atmosphere plummeted into sickening silence. Drinks splattered, heads turned, eyes widened at the sight of the guilty young enemy sprawled flat on his back in the shadows, bow clattering across the ground.

"Eheheyyyyy, guys." Hiccup forced a casual wave from the floor. "I know this looks…sorry about the…yeah totally meant to do—HOLY—"

He'd never seen a mass of metal and muscle move so fast and he hoped he never would again. Lucky for him he was just a tad faster, scrambling sideways and throwing the shield in front of him as a hefty axe came wooshing down.


	5. Part 5

_A/N: Just a quick note to give a big THANK YOU to those of you who have been waiting so very, very patiently for the conclusion of this story! You are all wonderful and I'm so sorry it took me this long to finish it. Hope you enjoy!_

 _-DF_

 _..._

 **Part 5**

The fierce blade glanced off the Gronckle iron, leaving it largely unscathed. The weapon and its wielder, on the other hand, came away fairing somewhat worse. The brute looked to have just received the shock of his life, a shock which the axe apparently wasn't strong enough to handle as the blade cracked in two and he went staggering and howling backwards into the mob gathering behind him.

"That ain't fair!" the guard bellowed, struggling to untangle himself from the snarl of men and weapons.

"Gronckle iron." Hiccup shrugged as if it were obvious, giving the shield a fond tap as he stood up.

"What in Odin's name is Gronckle—"

"Who gives a flying dragon's fart what it is?!" shouted another. "GET THAT KID!"

"That's HICCUP!" Grasping the shield's strap in both hands, the young Chief charged and began swinging it madly left and right, hollering at the top of his lungs while clobbering guard after guard and leaving behind an impressive trail of damage. "Hiccup...Horrendous...Haddock...The _Third_ , Son of Stoick the Vast, and _this_ is Gronckle iron!"

His limp victims merely groaned from the floor.

"Ohhh, my bad, I thought you were asking for a demonstration—" his quip was cut short by a commotion about a hundred feet to his left. Glancing up, his stomach froze.

Not to his surprise, Astrid's body count easily topped his, but a knot of burly men was closing in around her fast.

"Astrid!" he hollered. "Head for the table!"

"Right!" she yelled back without a break in her swinging. "Be there in a sec!"

Hiccup hopped onto the back of the nearest felled guard, jumping from one to the next as if they were steppingstones across a pond.

"S'cuse me, pardon me, comin' through!" The young man landed lightly on the wide tabletop at the very center of the room, kicking a few heavy tankards into the crowd for added measure before spotting Astrid in a tight tangle and losing ground—

He yelped as a sneaky rogue swept his legs out from under him and he came down hard on his back. As he was grappling with the newest attacker, he caught sight of the large candelabra hanging from the beams, his previously misguided arrow still stuck in one of the wooden racks. Finally shaking off his ugly opponent, the young chief rolled into a crouch, popped the hidden crossbow out of his shield and took hasty aim.

"HEADS UP!" he shouted, and let the arrow fly. Unlike the last time, it hit its mark exactly, slicing through the frayed rope. Time slowed, faces turned upward, contorted with shock. Hiccup searched between them and, with relief, noted the blur of red and blonde rolling deftly out from under it all in the nick of time.

The candelabra crashed into the horde, causing an uproar of splinters, tangled limbs, shouting and cursing. Astrid sprang to her feet and dashed for the table, bounding over downed guards until Hiccup seized her hand.

"Welcome aboard, M'lady."

"Ha!" she said as he pulled her up beside him. "Nice one!"

"I do try, sometimes. Now what?"

Back-to-back atop their little island, the couple rotated in the face of the shrinking ring of angry, growling guards.

"I'll take out the big guys…" Astrid hissed.

"They're _all_ big!" Slinging the shield over his back, Hiccup grabbed for his sword. This situation called for more fireworks and less iron.

"Listen, I'm gonna break out and find the dragons. See if you can make it to that watch tower we spotted on the way in, the one on the northwest side."

"What? But why don't we both—"

"Divide the group," she panted.

"Whoa, whoa, wait, you're telling me to go corner myself in a tower while you round up all the firepower—"

"Got any other ideas."

Hiccup blinked, then swallowed, coming up blank. "Uh…yes. Yes, good plan."

It was the worst plan he'd ever heard, if he had anything to say about it, but they didn't have very much of a window in which to argue or strategize.

"Just trust me."

"Ok, fine, you've gotten us this far…"

"Aw, thanks, babe!"

"…but which way is northwest? I don't know about you, but waking up in a dungeon tends to be a bit disorienting."

With a grunt, she pointed.

"Right, right, thanks."

"See you on the other side, Dragon Boy."

"The other side of _what_ , exactly?"

Leaving him with a wink, a quick peck on the cheek and nothing more in the way of answers, Astrid screamed and took a flying dive off the table into the hairy mass. Flames erupted from Hiccup's sword and the guards immediately in front of him shouted in surprise at the blast of light and heat and stumbled backwards, which was exactly what Hiccup had been counting on.

With a yell of his own, he jumped at them, landing on the floor in the vacant space he'd created for himself. Swinging the sword back and forth, Hiccup cut a swath through the astounded throng to the other side of the hall where he made it to one of the hulking wooden doors just as the guards collectively regained their senses.

Hiccup whirled around and, at the sight of the oncoming stampede, immediately wished he hadn't.

"Aaagh, nope!" Sliding through the door, he heaved it to. "Nope, nope, nope, not today!"

Hiccup brought down the bolt, flinching as the group smashed into it. The door rattled severely, but held firm, which, fortunately for him, it was designed to do. Quenching the sword, he spun, finding himself facing a stairway much like the one he and Astrid had ascended on the opposite side, only this one spiraled toward the sky.

The tower. It didn't offer a whole lot of solace, but there was nowhere to go except…well, up.

Keeping that sliver of positivity in mind, he dashed for the stairs, taking them three at a time until a welcome splash of daylight greeted him from an arched doorway at the top landing.

His relief manifested in a triumphant shout he simply couldn't hold back.

"YES! Yes, yes, y—"

A broadsword came to rest longways across his chest, stopping him dead one step across the threshold.

"No," sneered the double-crossing chief. "No, I really don't think so."

For a moment, the two stood glaring at each other; one young and out of breath (and ideas, for the time being), the other middle-aged and looking quite pleased with himself.

"And what makes you think that?" Hiccup hoped desperately that he sounded more like the fearless leader he wished he could be instead of the cornered rodent he felt like.

The other man replied with a snide question of his own. "You didn't approve of our accommodations, I take it?"

Forcing cool nonchalance, Hiccup shrugged. "Eh…we've had better, but we appreciate the gesture—"

Metal whooshed through the air as the elder chieftain performed a fantastic spin, ending the act with the sword's point digging into the middle of Hiccup's chest. He gave the sword a good jab, sending the young man staggering backwards into a wall.

"It's very rude to walk out on a host so abruptly. I thought everyone knew that, but perhaps Berk isn't as civilized as the rest of us?"

"Ok," Hiccup grunted, "now that was just uncalled for." _Inferno_ clenched in both hands, he took on a fighting stance.

To his surprise, his opponent gave a snicker. "You're going to fight me…with a sword-hilt? Shame, I was looking forward to a lengthy duel."

Hiccup returned with a sly quirk of his head. "Well, maybe not _just_ the hilt." _Clickclickclick!_ Out came the glinting, hollow blade. "How about I fight you with the whole thing?"

The opposing chief raised an eyebrow. "Very impressive, young Haddock, but I don't for a moment believe that pretty piece of decorated _wire_ can do _anything_ against the weapon of a real man…"

A miniature firestorm spiraled through the blade before Hiccup executed a spin of his own, compelling the startled man to jump away from him.

"This real enough for you?"

Immediately, he took another swing, but in spite of the shock, the other chief was more prepared this time and easily blocked the oncoming blow. The two weapons clashed in a shower of sparks and flaming Nightmare saliva.

The pair spun, twisted and lunged in a dangerous dance across the tower's top. Though he'd had intensive combat training from Astrid, Hiccup would always be more confident engaging an enemy from dragon-back in tandem with Toothless than solo on the ground. This wasn't his style and without the wings and wit of his best friend, his chances of overcoming a seasoned Viking warrior were slim. If Astrid didn't get there quickly, he would soon be beyond the use of any form of combat training whatsoever.

In a surprise move, the older man whirled around the younger, wrenching one arm behind his back and catching him in a tight headlock.

"By the way," the chief hissed in his ear as _Inferno_ was pried out of his grip and thrown aside, "where is that charming lady of yours? I would hate for her to miss your untimely but undoubtedly satisfying death."

Normally, Hiccup would be fairly worried for his life at this point, as would any other sane person. However, he had the distinct advantage of being able to hear something the other man's untrained ears couldn't: the squawk of an incoming Deadly Nadder.

"Looks like our game is at an end."

"Says who? I'm still playing." With renewed strength and assurance, Hiccup wrapped his left leg around his adversary's while heaving his upper half backwards, bringing them both to the ground. The young man rolled off his stunned opponent, swiping up _Inferno_ before vaulting onto a battlement.

Coming in fast, Stormfly gave a terrifying shriek, teeth bared and talons spread wide.

"Well, that's my ride," said Hiccup, smiling as the other chief cringed in terror. "It's been fun and I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got an island to defend."

The other chief let out a very unmanly scream as Stormfly and Astrid came swooping down from the heavens, the dragon plucking Hiccup from the tower.

"There you are!" he shouted up to his wife. "I was getting worried!"

"You're welcome." She pointed below them as the dragon dipped lower, skimming the grass. There, running underneath them, was Toothless.

"Hey, bud!" The talons retracted and Hiccup landed right in the saddle.

The Night Fury spread his wings as his companion clicked the prosthetic tailfin into place, and they were off, leaving behind a scattering of guards and a now enraged and cursing chief behind them.

"Let's get out of here," Astrid shouted over the breeze.

Hiccup spiraled around her. "Hold on…"

"Are you crazy? C'mon, let's go!"

"I just thought it might be nice to leave our hosts with a generous parting gift." He watched her eyes spark with that lethal mischievousness he knew so well as she followed his gaze to the armada floating in the island's harbor. "You know, to thank them for their hospitality."

Astrid feigned contemplation, one finger on her chin. "Oh, gee, I don't know…"

"Right this way, M'lady," Hiccup said, gesturing toward the doomed fleet. "Allow me to offer you the first shot."

There was no hesitation. "Well, if you insist."

 **The End**


End file.
